Smart fire hose

Abstract

A system for fighting fires has a source of fire-retardant material, a delivery hose connected to the source has a delivery nozzle at an end, and an end effector carrying the delivery hose proximate the nozzle. The end effector has controllable thrusters, an imaging device, and control circuitry including a display monitor, the control circuitry providing commands controlling actuators varying thrust and direction of the thrusters, and a valve in the delivery nozzle. With the delivery hose deployed, images from the end effector are transmitted to the control circuitry and displayed on the display monitor, and an operator viewing the images on the display monitor uses the command inputs to maneuver the end effector, carrying the nozzle at the end of the delivery hose to a position proximate an active fire, and opens the valve on the nozzle, delivering fire retardant material from the nozzle onto the fire.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for fighting fires, comprising:
 a tank of fire-retardant material in a fixed wing aircraft; 
 a deployable delivery hose connected to the tank of fire-retardant material, having a delivery nozzle at an end away from the tank of fire retardant material; 
 an end effector connected to and carrying the delivery hose proximate the delivery nozzle, the end effector having thrusters controllable in thrust and direction; 
 an imaging device on the end effector imaging environment proximate the end effector; and 
 control circuitry including a display monitor, the control circuitry configured to provide command inputs controlling actuators varying thrust and direction of the thrusters on the end effector, and a valve in the delivery nozzle; 
 wherein the system is configured to deliver the fire retardant material with the delivery hose deployed, images from the end effector transmitted to the control circuitry and displayed on the display monitor, and an operator viewing the images on the display monitor, using the command inputs to maneuver the end effector, carrying the nozzle at the end of the delivery hose to a position proximate the fire, and opening the valve on the nozzle. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the fixed-wing aircraft is enabled to fly in a circular orbit of a diameter and at a speed such that the end effector and nozzle assume a fixed position at a lower altitude proximate a fire. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the end effector comprises a frame supporting the thrusters controllable in thrust and thrust direction at a plurality of points, the points determining a plane, such that the system is enabled to maintain the plane in a horizontal attitude with the end effector hovering. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  wherein the delivery hose joins the end effector with an axis of the delivery hose vertical to the horizontal plane, and turns ninety degrees in the end effector to direct the nozzle horizontally away from the frame of the end effector, and wherein the imaging device is positioned to the frame to view parallel to the direction of the nozzle. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  wherein, through viewing the display and utilizing the command inputs controlling thrust and direction of thrust of the thrusters, the operator is enabled to fly the end effector into a burning building, and to maneuver the nozzle to a vantage point for delivering the fire-retardant material. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 3  wherein the delivery hose joins the end effector with an axis of the delivery hose parallel to the horizontal plane, and passes through the end effector directing the nozzle horizontally away from the frame of the end effector, and wherein the imaging device is positioned to the frame to view horizontally parallel to the direction of the nozzle. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6  wherein, through viewing the display and utilizing the command inputs controlling thrust and direction of thrust of the thrusters, the operator is enabled to fly the end effector into a burning building, and to maneuver the nozzle to a vantage point for delivering the fire-retardant material. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 3  wherein the end effector comprises a horizontal shaft rotatable about an axis by actuators controlled by input commands, with the thrusters fastened to the shaft, such that the operator is enabled to change thrust direction for all the thrusters fastened to the shaft by rotating the shaft. 
     
     
       9. A method for fighting fires, comprising:
 deploying a delivery hose connected to a tank of fire-retardant material on one end and having a delivery nozzle at the deployed end proximate an end effector having thrusters controllable in thrust and direction from a fixed wing aircraft carrying the tank of fire-retardant material and an imaging device enabled to image environment proximate the end effector and nozzle; 
 flying the end effector by an operator viewing a display of images from the end effector and activating input commands at control circuitry, the input controlling actuators varying thrust and direction of the thrusters on the end effector, delivering the nozzle to a vantage point near a fire; and 
 opening a valve in the nozzle by the operator activating an input command, delivering the fire-retardant material via the delivery hose and nozzle to the fire. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  comprising flying the fixed-wing aircraft in a circular orbit of a diameter and at a speed, that the end effector and nozzle assume a fixed position at a lower altitude proximate a fire. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the end effector comprises a frame supporting the thrusters controllable in thrust and thrust direction at a plurality of points, the points determining a plane, comprising causing the end effector to hover with the plane assuming a horizontal attitude. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein the delivery hose joins the end effector with an axis of the delivery hose vertical to the horizontal plane, and turns ninety degrees in the end effector to direct the nozzle horizontally away from the frame of the end effector, comprising positioning the imaging device to the frame to view parallel to the direction of the nozzle. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein, through viewing the display and utilizing the command inputs controlling thrust and direction of thrust of the thrusters, the operator flies the end effector into a burning building, and maneuvers the nozzle to a vantage point for delivering the fire-retardant material. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  wherein the delivery hose joins the end effector with an axis of the delivery hose parallel to the horizontal plane, and passes through the end effector directing the nozzle horizontally away from the frame of the end effector, comprising positioning the imaging device to the frame to view parallel to the direction of the nozzle. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein, through viewing the display and utilizing the command inputs controlling thrust and direction of thrust of the thrusters, the operator flies the end effector into a burning building, and to maneuver the nozzle to a vantage point for delivering the fire-retardant material. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11  wherein the end effector comprises a horizontal shaft rotatable about an axis by actuators controlled by input commands, with the thrusters fastened to the shaft, comprising rotating the shaft, changing thrust direction for all the thrusters fastened to the shaft.